Basketball notebook: Neponset’s Roger Cannon, Mineral’s Bob VanKerrebroeck earn IBCA Hall of Fame induction

Two of the biggest names in Bureau County area basketball in the mid-1960s were Neponset’s Roger Cannon and Annawan’s Robert “Bob” VanKerrebroeck.

Cannon is the all-time leader scorer for the Zephyrs while VanKerrebroeck was the No. 1 scorer for the Braves when he graduated, averaging 23.9 ppg his senior season in 1965-66.

They are tied once again as part of the 2025 IBCA induction class which was announced on Monday.

Cannon was inducted as a career coach from his days at Marengo, spending 30 years in the Indians’ program.

He went to Marengo right out of Eastern Illinois University, serving as the right-hand man for longtime Marengo coach Bill Barry, whose teams won 14 regionals, and five sectionals in 27 years with a Class A state appearance in 1990.

Cannon was the natural choice to succeed Barry as head coach, leading the Indians to two regional titles, one sectional championship and a 79-16 record in three seasons from 1997-00.

Two of Cannon’s Marengo teams went 27-3, including the 1997-98 team which lost in the super-sectional to undefeated Hall, the state runner-up.

In a 1999 interview for his induction into the Bureau County Sports Hall of Fame for his playing days at Neponset, Cannon said, “I’ve had a great time, nothing but fun for all these years. Not many people can say that in this emotional business, but it’s true.”

The Cannon sure-shot scored 1,809 points as a four-year starter for the Zephyrs (1962-66). Classmate Chuck Blake, who became the Neponset girls coach, said Cannon was not only a great talent, but a great teammate, leading the Zephyrs to two district championships and the Little 8 Conference championships his senior year.

“He was world’s best teammates and great leader. Head and shoulder above rest of us as far as basketball ability. Pretty much a legend around this area,” Blake said. “He had great leadership qualities. Didn’t brag, didn’t show anybody up. A quiet leader and very competitive.”

Blake recalled how John Pickering scored a single-game school-record 47 points one night only to have Cannon score 55 points the next game.

VanKerrebroeck, who grew up on a farm outside of Mineral and attended Mineral schools through the eighth grade, was inducted as a player at Annawan. He was a 3-year starter for the Braves, graduating in 1966 as Annawan’s all-time leading scorer with 1,232 career points. He is still No. 8 all-time in scoring for the Braves.

He was named to the Small-School All-State Team by the Chicago American his senior season.

VanKerrebroeck credits his incredible leaping abilities and quickness to working out with a weight system he created on the farm while honing his game against his older brother Dick and his friends in their hayloft hoop.

During 12 seasons in two stint as head girls coach at Geneseo, VanKerrebroeck’s teams went 211-95, winning four Class AA regional titles, one sectional title, one supersectional and a fourth-place state finish in 1986-87.

He also served as an assistant at St. Ambrose University between stints at Geneseo.

Swanson rolls a 300

Sherrard girls basketball coach Doug Swanson notched his 300th career victory when the Tigers beat rival Rockridge 56-32 on Monday night.

In 15 seasons at Sherrard, Swanson has a career record of 300-104, leading the Tigers to 10 regional championships.